More than you know
by Riordan Fan 1990
Summary: "But there was always one thing which knocked all the courage right out of her..." Lara contemplates about her worst fear. Sam contemplates her true feelings. Pre-Yamatai. LaraXSam.Happy Reading!
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: A small fluffy piece, dedicated to my one of my favorite OTPs. I love this pairing almost as much as, if not more than, I love Carter and Zia. And that's saying something. More after the story, HAPPY READING!**

**Disclaimer: I do own any characters from Tomb Raider.**

**Warning: Major fluff and lesbian themes ahead. Turn back if you have low tolerance for those.**

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Twenty one year old Lara Croft had done many things which most people would be afraid of. She had survived training with Roth, for one. Not a task for the light of heart. But there was always one thing which knocked all the courage right out of her.

It was stupid really. In fact, it wasn't even a chance encounter with a bear on a camping trip gone wrong or a fall from a steep cliff, during the frequent mountaineering trips she took with Roth. It was much more simple, and a task which anyone would be willing to do.

It was the idea that of snuggling, with Sam, on the couch of their shared apartment, with a cheesy movie on the telly, that scared her most. This fear stemmed from the fact that Lara Croft loved her best friend.

She had first realized this after a year they had met. And as any best-friend-crush scenarios she tried ignoring it, tried dating other people (not that she succeeded) and even screaming at herself that it wasn't right. But in the end, four years later, she still had irrevocable feelings for Samantha Nishimura.

Sometimes the love she felt for Sam, baffled her. In all honesty, they shouldn't have worked. They were polar opposites. Lara was bookish and preferred to spend time within a library than a party. She still blushed at the mention of sex in public. She had never had sex for the fun of it. Heck she hadn't even come out to her best friend yet.

Sam was the polar opposite. She was a party animal. She had practically had more flings than she could count with two hands, and she never failed to call Lara out on her lack of sexual knowledge in public. Especially, in public.

But they had worked. Somewhere deep down, they had the same passion and force driving them that they had worked. And Sam had slowly but surely wound her way up the archeologists' heart and had become a permanent fixture there.

But the problem was that Lara knew that Sam saw her as nothing more than a best friend. She knew that she had the chance of a snowflake in hell of telling the filmmaker her true feelings. Lara was afraid, that revealing her feelings would drive a wedge between them and they would lose whatever relationship they had.

Having harbored feelings for the past four years Lara had grown adept at hiding them and that was why these moments scared Lara more than falling to an imminent death. She was scared that in moments like these, with the filmmaker snuggled against her snoring quietly into Lara's forearm, facing the telly which was running silently, that she would do something that would reveal her true feelings.

But that didn't stop her from gazing at the peaceful sleeping face of Sam, and letting her feelings wash over her. She felt a familiar tugging sensation in her stomach when Sam let out a little snort and pulled herself closer into the warmth of the archaeologists' body.

It was during moments like these, where Lara imagined a life where she had revealed her feelings to Sam and that they were together, rather than acknowledging the fact that Sam was now dating her second guy that month. She wondered what it would be like if, in the future, Sam would be permanent fixture in her life, rather than somebody else's

"How are you doing this to me Sam?" Lara whispered as she pressed her lips on the filmmaker's forehead. Half asleep, Sam muttered something unintelligible and pressed closer into Lara.

"I love you, sweetie." Sam mumbled into the archeologists' chest.

Ignoring the fact that she would never hear it the way she wanted to, Lara cherished the moment and whispered to the ceiling "I love you too Sam." More than you'll ever know, Lara added to herself.

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**I hope you guys enjoyed that. Do you think I should write more of this pairing. I really would like some tips on writing gay relationships. I am not gay, and neither am I a woman. So any advice on how gay relationships work, any particular difference that I should keep in mind while I write would be very appreciated. I am a huge supporter of the LGBT community, and I want to contribute as much as I can for proper representation.**

**I would love any and all suggestions or prompts for my story _Wrong Number._ Do you think I should continue this story? Until it is green-lit by you guys, this is going to be a one shot. Peace. Happy Reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note: Thanks for the positive response guys. I have something planned out for this story, and I'm guessing it will be more like a five chapter novella. Let's see. HAPPY READING!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider**

**Warning: Loads of fluff and Lesbian themes ahead.**

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Samantha Nishimura pulled her overly large t-shirt over her knees and hugged them close to her chest, as she nervously waited for the psychology student to come online. Sam was great at hiding her true feelings. She had hid her disappointment with her parents for not providing attention to her by being rebellious. She had hidden her fear of not finding true love, by having more flings than an average college girl. But she swiveled nervously on her chair, in front of her computer, because she had come too close to revealing her true feelings. She had come too close to trouble.

As soon as the light next to the contact turned green, Sam hit call and heard the familiar sound as Skype called Steph. She waited, not so patiently, for the blonde to pick up, and when she did, she lost her nerve.

"What is the matter Sammy?" Steph asked rubbing her eyes slowly.

"It's nothing…..Just….. I'm sorry for disturbing you….. I ….crap….." words failed the filmmaker.

"Sammy are you nervous?" the phsyc student asked, puzzled, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Jesus Christ, Steph can I just talk. I really need your help." The filmmaker said mustering up her courage again. The blonde motioned for Sam to go on.

"Steph, I think I'm in love with Lara. I don't know when this happened. I guess about a year and a half ago, I sort of started having these feelings about her. You know. I started wondering how it would be like to kiss her, cuddle with her and all that. At first I assumed that it was just Lara being …. Well perfect, with her looks and brains. But then the weird thing is that I never related her to sex. It wasn't even sexual, the attraction I am feeling towards her….." The filmmaker rambled.

"….. And you know how I am. If the sex isn't good, I'm outta there. And then the dreams started. The fucking dreams. In these dreams, it would be just me and Lara, and we would be cuddling, and kissing and every single time the dream would end with me whispering I love you, and Lara kissing me. And every time I would wake up, feeling empty, knowing that it would never come true. At first I tried to dismiss these thoughts, but they kept creeping up on me and, it's like…." The filmmaker waved her hands around hysterically, for emphasis.

"…. They take over my whole consciousness. It also doesn't help that Lara is practically a goddess. I mean right from her eyes to hair, she is, like, Perfect. And then she has all these cute mannerisms, the way she blushes, and her tentative smile…god….."

Sam put her head into her hands "...just thinking about her, brings this tugging feeling in my stomach."

All the while, Steph listened quietly, a small smile dawning on her lips and finally when Sam finished, blushing furiously her head in her hands she asked her the obvious.

"You seem to have figured it out yourself Sam. Why don't you tell her?" she asked pushing a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You don't get it Steph. You know how Lara is. I am almost afraid that she is asexual, let alone straight. The only person she dated was Steven, back when she was eighteen, and she had kneed him in the balls when he tried to kiss her. What if I tell her and she doesn't like women? What if I lose her?" the filmmaker asked perplexed.

"I can't help you there Sammy. But why were in such a hurry to tell this to me. I would have preferred to hear it in person?"

"I don't know. I almost kissed her, Steph….. You know how she always goes for her morning run, well, we fell asleep on the couch last night, watching Sharknado, and when she woke up and said she was leaving, I almost kissed her. But I turned it into an awkward hug. Somehow." The filmmaker sighed.

"Listen Sammy, I may be a psychology student, but matters of love still elude me. You have two options, either find out if Lara is gay, or take the leap of faith." The blonde stated.

"I….I'll think about it. Thanks, I guess I just needed someone to talk to." The film maker said quietly.

"Let me know how it turns out. I'm rooting for you guys." The psychology student smiled at the filmmaker.

"Lara will be returning soon, guess we'll see. Bye." The filmmaker smiled back and ended the call. Leaning back and staring at the ceiling, Sam contemplated about telling the archaeologist her feelings.

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**I hope you guys liked that. Let me know if it was good, bad, OK….anything. If you have any requests, let me know, or PM me and I will reply as soon as I can. A huge THANK YOU to the two guests who reviewed. Peace. Happy Reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, I'm back! First off thank you so much for all the great reviews. They are like my fuel. There are some developments in this chapter. More info after the story. Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider.**

**Warning: Loads of lesbian fluff ahead.**

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The cool air caressed Lara Croft's face as she stood on top of the roof of her apartment complex. She stared at a non-existent spot on the floor and contemplated the events which happened during her usual morning run. Each little detail came back vividly in the mind of the young archaeologist. She remembered the blond running up to her and soon running along with her. She remembered the blond holding out a hand and introducing herself.**  
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"I'm Amanda." She had said nervously. And it was the same voice that had asked her out for coffee. Stunned Lara had, on reflex, said no. But on seeing the dejected look on the blonde's face and remembering her nervousness earlier she had agreed. Not to coffee, but to dinner.

Lara played the moment over and over in her head, trying to make sense of what had made her say yes. She had half the mind to call her up and tell her an excuse for not being able to make it, and just find a different place to run every day. But something in her mind stopped her. A small voice was telling her that she should go on the "date".

The voice reasoned slowly to her, that even though she loved Sam, she would never be able to be with her. Lara reasoned with it that it was wrong on her part to date a woman when she loved Sam. She reasoned to it, that she had tried everything, and nothing could make her forget her Sam. The voice trying to convince her had a reply readily formed. It was from her head after all.

You haven't tried everything. You haven't tried dating another woman it said.

Lara couldn't argue with that.

"Maybe, this will be it. Maybe I'll fall in love." The archaeologist muttered to herself. It was decided, Lara Croft would go to dinner. Finally her mind made up, Lara told herself that it was time she told Sam.

The young Croft climbed down the stairs and walked up to her apartment. As she opened the door quietly, Sam walked into her field of view wearing just a large shirt. Blushing furiously, the archaeologist tried to look anywhere but at her legs.

"Hey, really fit, morning person." Sam said and pulled Lara into a hug.

"Morning Sam." she replied quietly, pondering whether Amanda would ever be able to take the place of Sam in my heart. Sam perceptive as always, pulled away and looked into the brown eyes of the younger girl.

"Anything wrong sweetie?" she asked tentatively. Steeling herself, Lara took a deep breath and said "I need to tell you something important."

A look of surprise crossed over Sam's face. "I want to tell you something too." She said.

"What is it?" Lara asked concern coloring her heart, fast.

Smiling slowly she said "You first." Looking at her smile, the young archaeologist's concern ebbed away.

"Samithinkimgay." Lara said in a small whisper, and looked her feet, afraid to meet the filmmaker's eyes.

"Come again, sweetie" she said, not understanding. Slowly looking up the archaeologist said "I am Gay, Sam."

A slow smile crept across the filmmaker's face. And Lara felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders.

"That's Great, Lara!" The filmmaker squealed as she hugged her best friend close. When Sam stepped back, the archaeologist added "I have a date tonight." Slowly the smile slid from Sam's face.

"Somebody asked you out?"

"Y…yes"

"Oh… have fun sweetie." The filmmaker said, suddenly distancing herself from Lara.

Worried she'd done something wrong the archaeologist stepped forward and asked her "Is anything wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Lara. I just have a headache." Suddenly the filmmaker looked at the clock." You get ready for college sweetie, I'm just gonna sleep a little while longer. My classes start only at noon." The filmmaker said as she turned her back to the archaeologist and stepped into her room, closing the door softly.

Confused, but happy that she had come out to the person she loved most in the world, the archaeologist, got ready for college. She remembered that Sam had wanted to tell her something. Promising herself to ask her after college the archaeologist stepped into the shower.

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**So, a small cliffhanger there, at the end. I wanted to make this story, a three-parter before, but having a mind of its own, it grew into what you are reading now. I really hope you enjoy this. Please review. And I apologize in advance, for any delay, because I am really busy right now and it is really hard for me to get onto the internet. But, worry not, because, I will update for you guys. Happy Reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A slightly longer chapter this time. I won't be able to update for the next five days, so apologies in advance. Thank you for all the reviews. Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider.**

**Warning: Lesbian themes ahead.**

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"What do you major in?" asked Amanda, sitting opposite the young archaeologist in a small cafe. Lara, her mind elsewhere, snapped out of her trance, and apologized.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get you."

"What subject do you major in?" the blonde repeated.

"Archaeology" Lara replied, curtly, staring down at her piece of pie.

"I'm sorry, is anything wrong?" Amanda asked, upset by the curt answer which left no options for further conversation.

Lara felt bad for putting the blonde through this, but she couldn't help but worry about Sam. Her Sam. When Lara had returned from college that day, she had found the apartment empty and all the calls she gave Sam went directly to voicemail. Perplexed at her best friends' sudden absence, she had searched few of the clubs Sam and her friends frequented. She had even called some of them up, to no avail. No one knew where Sam was. Worried the brunette had looked at the time and decided that she had to get ready for her date, and that she would have to berate Sam for scaring her when she returned home.

"I am really sorry; I'm usually not like this. It's just my roommates missing and I have no idea where she is, and I'm worried. I'm souring up this whole date…I'm sorry" In a bold move, which even Lara didn't see coming she reached across the table and held the blonde's hands. When their skins came into contact two things happened. Lara blushed deep down to the roots of her hair, and somebody crashed into a waiter in their hurry to leave. As the archaeologist turned her head to find the person who had ruined the sweet moment, her eyes met another pair, which she would never able to forget. Sam. When their eyes met, Sam's mouth fell open and apologizing to the waiter, she pulled on her hoodie and dashed out of the store.

Perplexed and worried Lara got up in a hurry, and remembering Amanda, she turned and looked at her. A pair of confused and upset eyes looked up at her, and she felt her heartstrings pull.

"I'm really sorry Amanda. I was really looking forward to this, but I have to go. I promise I'll make it up to you somehow." The archaeologist said, genuinely sorry.

"I understand. I'll call you later." The blonde said looking down. Lara gave a curt nod and before leaving, pressed a chaste kiss on the blonde's cheek. "I owe you a date." She said, her conscience getting the better of her. Seeing the slow smile dawning on Amanda's face, the archaeologist spun around and exited the café, retracing Sam's steps.

Trusting her instincts, which Roth often said she should, Lara returned to her apartment. Hoping to find Sam, she opened the door and entered the place she called home slowly. Sounds of sobbing could be heard from Sam's room. Quietly unlocking the door to her room, the archaeologist spotted Sam on the bed, hugging her knees and crying into them, a half empty bottle of vodka at her side.

Having no idea what to do, the archaeologist slowly called out to the person that mattered the most to her.

"What's wrong Sam?"

The filmmaker looked up her eyes brimming with tears and her mouth set in a sarcastic smile.

"Nothing is wrong sweetie, it's all as fine as rainbows and unicorns" anger swelled up inside the archaeologist.

"Please tell me what is wrong. You ruined a date Sam."

"Everythings alright Lara. Isint that what I do? Ruin things? I ruined my parent's political image. I ruin Trent's public image because I'm a slut. And now I just ruined your date." Sam spat, anger and misery clouding her ever beautiful eyes. Lara couldn't bear to look at her Sam like this. Immediately, she stepped closer and pulled Sam into a tight hug but the filmmaker pushed her away having no intention of stopping.

"… and then of course everyone leaves e alone. My parents hated me so they shipped me off to boarding school. Trent hates me so he dumped me. You hate me for ruining your date, so now you are going to leave me" Lara flinched, as if she had been slapped. "…in the end everybody leaves Samantha Nishimura alone, because she is just a girl who will amount to nothing and is a disgrace to everyone around her." The filmmaker broke down, fell onto the floor.

Tears streaming down her face, Lara knelt beside Sam and pulled her close, despite the protests from the filmmaker. Between sobs, Sam whispered into Lara's throat.

"You're going to leave me too aren't you? I saw y…you holding her hand. You really like her. You're going to leave me alone."

Holding her tighter, Lara placed a small kiss on her head."I'm never going to leave you Sammy. What made you think that? I would never leave you, even if my life depended on it. And you are not worthless. You are the most beautiful and charismatic person I have ever known." Nodding slowly, Samantha snuggled closer to Lara's heart.

"I'm sorry." The filmmaker whispered.

"It's okay" Lara whispered back."

"I love you, Lara." The archaeologist heard the filmmaker say, and her heart collapsed. She knew, in that moment, that no person could ever replace Sam in her heart.

"I love you too." Lara whispered back. My Sam, she added in her head.

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**My favourite chapter yet. Let me know what you guys think. Happy Reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Aand I'm back. Here is a new chapter, and this time from Sam's point of view. I have a bit to say about the story in the author's note following this chapter so stick around if you want to. If not it doesn't change that much about the overall narrative. Anywho Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tomb Raider.**

**Warning: Themes of depression and loads of lesbian fluff ahead.**

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Samantha Nishimura pulled the hoodie over her short hair and moved through the crowd to see what all the fuss was about. Shoving a man taking pictures with his phone out of the way she came across the event which had everyone in the small room applauding softly and taking pictures. The filmmaker forced down the bile which rose to her throat as she saw Lara, her Lara, on her knees in front of a blond who was sobbing softly staring at the ring in the archaeologist's hand.

Slowly Lara turned and met the filmmakers tear filled eyes.

"What did you think Sam? That we would end up together. How could you even think that? Who would want to an up with a slut?" Lara asked as a sneer, which suited her ill, crossed her face.

Slowly the crowd turned towards the filmmaker and started laughing hysterically. Tears streaked the filmmakers face and she cried out for help. She started running, but soon the crowd was on her heels. She tripped and she fell, but bracing herself the filmmaker struggled to rise as the crowd slowly surrounded her.

"Worthless." They chanted.

"You ruined everything." Her parents said, standing in front of the crowd, pointing their fingers at the filmmaker as she lay on the dirt.

"You'll forever be alone." Came the voice, Sam loved so much. Darkness and cold surrounded the filmmaker and slowly she was left alone, screaming her heart out.

And all of a sudden it was over. Everything became warmer as a pair of protective arms wrapped around her and a slow voice whispered in her ears.

"It's okay Sam. It was just a dream. I'm here. I'm never leaving you." The filmmaker heard the voice whisper.

Turning to the source Sam pressed herself closer than the warm chest of the person and sobbed quietly as they held her. When she could control her tears the filmmaker looked up into the brown eyes of her saviour, her Lara. Relief spread through the filmmakers chest as she saw, not a sneer, but concern and something much deeper etched across the brown eyes of the archaeologist.

Unable to control the overwhelming emotions tugging at the chest struggling for escape, the filmmaker pressed her hands on the warm cheeks of the young croft and pressed her lips flush against the Lara's. Slowly the filmmaker nibbled at bottom lip of the archaeologist. The kiss was soft and tender, but the all love shared with it put cupids arrows to shame. Breathless the filmmaker pulled away and looking into the eyes of the person she loved she whispered three little words which had been exchanged many times between them, but never with so much conviction. She saw confusion and surprise laced with… Hope? Anger? Disgust?... Pass through Lara's eyes and slowly realization dawned on the filmmakers mind and with it came fear.

Had she finally done it? Had she done something to push Lara out of her life?

Pushing the fear away and praying to non-existent gods Sam pressed her forehead against the archaeologist's chest and whispered those three words over and over. As she slowly crossed the threshold of a dreamless sleep, Sam felt her fear ebb a little as she felt Lara wrap her arms around her and pull her closer.

In the small moments before dawn, as the archaeologist slept holding the filmmaker to her heart, Sam realized that she had loved none but her best friend for more than a year and every date she had gone on was just her mind denying her true feelings.

Will she ever love you back? Asked a voice in her head.

Do you think she ever will? A person like you?

No, came the reply immediately. Even if she did she deserved better. Not a slut. Not someone who ran away from her fears.

Realization dawned on Sam. If she wanted to protect her friendship with Lara she would have to do what she always did. Just as she did with her parents, just as she did when she partied and drank herself to oblivion, Sam would have to hide her feelings. She would have to forget a life _with_ Lara if she wanted the archaeologist _in_ her life. Her decision made and her mind steeled, the filmmaker held back tears and chose to savour the few moments left before dawn in the arms of the person she loved.

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**So like I said, this story is set before the doomed expedition to Yamatai. If you are wondering if this is the last chapter, then nope, we have a few more chapters till the end. We're probably about halfway to the end. Lastly, you may notice that the version of Sam I have written is not as happy go lucky or as hyper as the Sam portrayed in the actual game. This is because this chapter discusses the inner musings of the character and not her general ****behaviour****. The Sam I have written may seem weak, but in the contrary I think Sam is one of the strongest character I have had the grace of writing. Almost as strong as Lara herself, I'd say. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally Sam is far more mature and strong because of the struggle for acceptance she went through with her parents, and now with her feelings for Lara. Her outward actions are her way of masking her fears and I love her so much for that, because I am too, in a way, like her. So don't worry, you are going to see more of the Sam we all know and love from the game in the next chapter, but keep in mind, beneath every smile there is a struggle that has been overcome. Happy Reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! I am so sorry that I haven't updated for so long. As I said earlier, I will be graduating this year, or more accurately the next year, but you get my point. I have been really busy with school work and I really need a good GPA so I can get into college. But don't worry, you can expect weekly updates. Maybe even twice a week if I am lucky enough to have the time! Not the greatest prospect, but it would really mean so much if you could support me through this. I am amazed at how many favorites this story has gotten. I am indeed flattered, and the chapter after the last one in this story will be dedicated to you guys. Love you all! More after the chapter, Happy Reading!**

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Sorrow was nothing new to Lara croft. During the many camping trips with Roth she had seen him hunt deer and kill rabbits for bait. She had even had the misfortune of killing one herself

"Survival of the fittest Lara. You can't feel sorry for every flower you trample upon" he would say in his northern accent. Although she agreed with him, she would silently say a small apology to the carcass before moving on.

But sorrows like those were nothing like what she felt when Sam had no recollection of the confession she had made the previous night or of the tender kiss she had shared with the young croft.

She had known that Sam had been drunk when she had consoled her the previous night, but that hadn't stopped the surge of hope that had flooded Lara's heart when, with surprising clarity, Sam had whispered her declaration of love over and over after she had pressed her tender lips to the archaeologists. As the morning came however, the hope had been shattered when Sam woke up with no memories of the previous night. Lara knew this happened sometimes when Sam had drunk too much. But she had hoped, prayed that it shouldn't happen, and her prayers had fallen on deaf ears. All of this made the young archaeologist wonder if Sam's, her Sam's, declarations of love had been true or if they were mistakes made by spontaneity, alcohol and a need to thank a friend who had helped the filmmaker during need.

At first, it was as if the filmmaker remembered the events of the previous night. She had woken up In Lara's arms and had apologized for ruining her date. When Lara's questioning looks were met with confusion by Sam, the young archaeologist had prodded further.

"Do you remember what happened last night Sam?" the question was posed tentatively.

"Vaguely, I remember drinking around two and a half bottles of vodka, almost immediately after I saw you with the girl. I was afraid that you would….." the unsaid words stung the young croft. Even in her darkest times, would she have the mind to leave the filmmaker, Lara wondered?

"And then, I remember anger and sadness and screaming ….. and apologizing." Sam finished with an air of finality looking down at the floor.

"That's it?" the archaeologist asked her hope burning out like a match at the end of its life.

"Did I hurt you Lara? I'm so sorry…I really didn't know what I was doing, what did I do? I'm so sorry, sweetie." The filmmaker whispered despair dawning upon her face. The match burned out. The coldness left behind sent a shiver down Lara's spine. Supresing the need to tell Sam what had happened, in case it backfired, Lara instead took to consoling her best friend that she had in no way harmed her. Physically at least she thought, cringing inwardly.

After convincing Sam, the archaeologist made her breakfast, which the filmmaker accepted gratefully; all the while joking about how she should be the one making the apology breakfast and not Lara. As the day went on Sam became more and more of herself, and the archaeologist felt herself yearning for Sam's embrace and the feel of Sam's lips on hers.

Being a Sunday the girls lazed around their shared apartment. Lara was stretched out on her bed preparing for her finals, which was fast approaching. She read the same sentence for the sixth time. Nothing was getting into her head. All she could think of was whether the kiss had actually happened, or if she had dreamed it. And if she hadn't dreamt it, where did it leave Sam and her? Where did Amanda fit into all this? Should she pursue a relationship with the literature student, wondered Lara.

Suddenly interrupting all her thoughts Sam peaked into her room, a small smile on her face.

"Come on sweetie, we are going out."

Grateful for the distraction but, never the one to admit it, the archaeologist looked at the filmmaker curiously.

"Sam its noon, where are we going to go now?"

"I ruined your date….. so I thought I could….you know make out….I mean make IT UP, make it up to you by preparing you for your next date. "The filmmaker replied looking down and smiling sheepishly

Not noticing the slip up, the archaeologist said "You really don't have Sam."

"No, no, no…." the filmmaker said walking over and pulling on the young archaeologists hands…" I'm going to get you laid, even if it's the last thing I do."

"SAM! I haven't even gone on a proper date with her. Jesus!" Lara said blushing furiously. Sam smiled sadly at the ground, when Lara wasn't looking.

"If you don't mind, what's her name?" Sam asked tentatively.

"Amanda." The croft said, color rising to her cheeks again. Looking up at Lara, Sam smiled again. The archaeologist, detecting a hint of sadness asked her what was wrong.

"Nothing, I'm just happy that you have grown up." The filmmaker replied reaching up to pat the taller girls head playfully. Turning around she walked out of the room.

"Come on sweetie we don't want to be late." Sam shouted back into the room.

Sighing at the bed Lara pulled her hoodie and walked out of her room.

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**Suggest some songs for this story people! I have a few details to divulge. There will be five more chapters, an epilogue and, of course, the final word to all who favorite, followed and reviewed on this story. I have the ending planned and maybe even a small part written. I'm not going to be cruel and tease you with it. Who am I kidding, of course I am. *EVILL LAUGH* This is a excerpt from the 9****th**** or 10****th**** chapter, I'm not entirely sure yet.**

The archaeologist stared at the stars. She would just have to step forward and it would all be over. She won't hear the voices. She wouldn't be able to hurt anybody, especially not Sam.

"I love you Sam." She whispered at the night sky and closed her eyes.

Maybe she should do it.

She decided. She would do it.

**And there you go. What is Lara going to do? You'll just have to wait to find out. But seriously though, I love you guys. Happy Reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I apologize for not updating two weeks back like I promised. But I did explain my predicament. I don't exactly have these chapters written down anywhere except my head. That being said I do hope you enjoy this chapter, even if it's a short one. Things are going to take a turn for the worse from now on.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider**

**Warning: Loads of fluff and Lesbian themes ahead.**

**Request: Please read the Authors note that follows the chapter, as it is really important to the story.**

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"I'm not going to wear this Sam!" Lara croft whispered heatedly, a blush rising to her cheeks as she stared at the dress which her best friend had given her.

"Why not sweetie? Besides, black will look great on you." The filmmaker asked staring at the red cheeks of the Croft and barely reigning in the impulse to lean over and kiss them.

"Because it is….well it isn't….it's a dress!" Lara replied, finally looking up sheepishly. The older girl gave the Croft a playful scowl.

" Out of all the excuses you could come up with, you are refusing to wear this awesome piece of clothing because it is a dress?"

"Well…" the archaeologist began.

"No no no no no, I am not taking no for an answer. You are going to go in there, try it on and I'm going to decide whether you are going to wear it or not." Sam said pushing the croft towards the dressing rooms. Sighing and nodding slowly the Croft closed the door.

As soon as Lara locked the door Sam sighed and put her head in her hands. It was becoming too much for her. The promise she made to herself to stay away from Lara and not messing up her life was becoming too hard to keep up. With every friendly gesture and smile she sent her, the filmmaker's stomach would clench knowing that she would never be able to go a day without seeing them. She contemplated leaving and not returning, ever, but soon wiped the thought away from her mind, after realizing that Lara loved her, _as a friend_, and would be devastated if she did that. Slowly wiping the tears which threatened to fall, the filmmaker wandered back between the isles of the clothing store to pick up a pair of boots for Lara.

* * *

Inside the dressing room, the archaeologist wasn't faring very well. Having tried on the dress and looking at the reflection, she smiled softly imagining Sam's reaction. She couldn't deny that she looked okay, maybe even good, in the dress which her best friend had picked out for her. But when the thought crossed her mind, sadness filled her.

She thought about the previous night and wondered if she could ever move on. Once more she considered telling Sam what had really happened that night. She remembered the kiss they had shared. Her fingers traced her lips. She couldn't have imagined it, could she? Sighing and pushing all the confusing thoughts away from her head, the young Croft looked back at her reflection. She imagined herself going shopping again with Sam. The thought almost seemed, domestic. Her heart did the tugging again. Shaking her head furiously she muttered to herself.

"Not a chance, Croft." Her phone buzzed, and picking it up she was greeted with a picture of Roth and her holding up two huge fishes. She wondered why Roth was calling her. Pressing answer she held the phone up to her ear.

"Roth?"

"Lara, it's good to hear your voice girl." Roth's gruff voice answered. "How is all that studying going? And how is Sam?"

"It's all fine Roth. She's fine" the croft replied, pushing away the fact that, she was not fine. Not really.

"I have some news, which you'd be happy to hear. Were setting out on an expedition. In about maybe a month. Seeing as your exams get over, I was thinking it could be your first real one."

A strange sense of excitement filled the archaeologist's heart. She had to tell Sam.

"One of your idols is the one financing it. Whitman, isn't it?"

"You are not kidding, are you Roth?"

"Trust me girl, id never kid about a solid expedition."

A strange calm filled Lara's heart and she thought of her parents. Nodding more to herself, and realizing Roth couldn't see her, she spoke into the phone.

"Where are we going?" she asked

"Yamatai"

* * *

**And there you go. Again, a short chapter but an important one. I will try to update as soon as I can, but a really important thing I want to stress on is that, ****_Tomb Raider 2013 _****the game in its entirety takes place in the continuity of this story, with no changes made. But I will not rewrite anything which happened within the game. If you want my take on Lara's first kill, I have written a story, ****_Change,_**** which details just that. If you want to be really in continuity, ****_Tomb Raider: The Beginning _****comic, also falls into this time line. The next chapter will take place on the cargo ship which rescues the Lara, Sam, Jonah and Reyes. So there you go. Some really important stuff which I really hope you have read, so you aren't confused by the next chapters. Now that that is out of the way, I hope you liked the chapter. If you did, please review and if you didn't, please let me know how I can improve. Peace! Happy Reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! It's been a long time and I truly apologize for that. I have a lot of work to do, but I'm ignoring it, because this is my passion. I saw all the new reviews, and went to hell with work, I have to write this. So, here is an extra long chapter just for all you wonderful people. Before I sign-off I implore you to read the author's note as it contains important information about this story. Really important stuff, so please don't ignore it. Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider. Nor do I know any of the medical stuff here. I just winged it. Sorry for the inaccuracies.**

**Warning: Lesbian themes ahead.**

* * *

Samantha Nishimura dragged her broken nails across the marks on her forearm. Whatever she did, they didn't disappear. Wincing as her nails drew blood she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the uncomfortable chairs they had in the hospital.

She expected all the visions of Yamatai to come back. She expected to hear Himiko, the wretched queen, in her head. But all she could remember was how Lara fell. How her body hit the deck of the ship which had rescued them, and how she had done nothing about it.

The filmmaker regretted staying rooted to the spot as Jonah and Reyes rushed to her savior's side. She watched as the crew carried her away to the ships infirmary. She watched, almost suspended from reality, as they called in a medi-vac because she couldn't be treated in the ships infirmary. Her wounds were too severe.

The twenty-two year old didn't know what stopped her from acting. Maybe it was a part of Himiko, wanting to kill the person, who stopped her ritual. Or maybe it was because she never thought Lara, the strong survivor, the one who laid waste to an entire island to save her, Her Lara, could fall so suddenly.

She waited for the doctor to come out of the ICU, tears sliding down her cheeks. When the doctor stepped out of the room, speaking in rapid-fire Japanese to a nurse, Samantha couldn't help but rush to his side.

Holding on to the doctor's forearm, the filmmaker stopped him and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please tell me she's fine." Sam hated the way her voice sounded.

"I am sorry, maam, but only the closest relative will be briefed about the situation of miss…um." He looked at the pad in his hand. A rage over came the filmmaker. He didn't even know her name. "…Croft."

Samantha had to restrain herself from screaming.

"Doctor, please. Her next of kin is listed as Samantha Nishimura. I am her. Please just tell me what's wrong with her." Sam pleaded, hating the tears that rolled down her eyes.

A sympathetic look came over the doctors eyes. "I am sorry Miss Nishimura. I'm sure you have had enough to worry about as it is. I did not mean to hurt you."

"That's fine. Please tell me she's fine."

The doctor just looked down.

"You see Miss Nishimura, Miss Croft's injuries are far too severe, for me to tell you if she is, or ever will be fine."

His words stunned the filmmaker to silence. Was she going to lose Lara?

"She has suffered many injuries." He looked down at his pad again. "She has three broken ribs, and a broken shoulder blade. Two ligament tears and many of her cuts are infected. She has pneumonia. And she has probably suffered more than one concussion."

As the doctor read down the list, a sense of dread clutched Sam's heart. Still she tried to look for hope.

"Those are not that bad right. I mean a few broken bones, a fever, and concussions. You can fix her." She locked eyes with the doctor.

"I'm afraid that we won't be able to deal with them now. Those are the easiest things but where the complication comes from, is that there is a wound passing through the left side of her abdomen."

The rebar, Sam remembered Lara telling her.

"The wound is literally days old, and from what I have observed, Miss Croft has made attempt to cauterize the wound. It has been effective to an extent, but I'm afraid, her attempts were too little too late." The doctor continued explaining.

"You see the infection started almost immediately afterwards and it has spread to a large portion of her body. Her white blood count is extremely low, and her body is not able to fight back any diseases. And since she sealed the wound herself, we have no way to know the extent of damage, made to her abdomen until we operate on her. But her body cannot defend her against any attack, and that is why we are afraid to perform any procedure."

"So you're saying she won't survive this." Sam asked tears threatening to fall. She couldn't believe Lara had gone through all this for her. She couldn't believe that Lara would never hear the filmmaker say 'I love you' in the way Sam wanted to.

"I wouldn't lose hope if I were you. Your friend is a survivor. Any person who has suffered this much could not have been standing a few days back, let alone scaling a cliff, from what I heard." The doctor said looking at her sadly.

Before Sam could reply, a loud beeping noise reached her ears and a nurse rushed out of the ICU, shouting in Japanese. The doctor surprised by the sudden noise, but working with the grace of an experienced professional, rushed into the room. Sam followed and no one bothered to stop her.

What she saw in the room killed her.

Lara was lying in the bed motionless, her beautiful face wrapped in bandages. Her closed eyes seemed so peaceful, even with all the commotion beside her. The doctors and nurses rushed around the room, grabbing needles and bottles.

As the doctor charged up the defibrillator, Sam watched in horror, as they pressed them to her heart. When archaeologist's body convulsed as the shock passed through her body, the filmmaker screamed. One of the doctors saw her and motioned for two nurses and pointed to the door. Crying out the her Lara's name, Sam stepped forward, as the doctor shocked her again.

Struggling against the nurses trying to drag her out of the room she watched the doctor charge the paddles again and press them to her Lara's chest.

She struggled.

Lara's lifeless form writhed on the bed. She didn't move.

The doctor shook his head quietly, and all commotion stopped.

Sam became quiet as the nurses stopped pulling her back.

The only sound that could be heard was the steady sound of the heartbeat monitor.

Flat line.

The doctor's coarse voice broke the silence. "Time of death, Nine Twenty Seven." He said looking down at his watch.

Sam stood her mouth open in a silent scream, tears falling to the floor. "I love you." She whispered, her hands shaking as she reached out towards Lara.

Lara Croft was dead.

* * *

**The End ?**

**Authors note: Remember the preview I gave you in chapter six, well I guess it won't be happening after all. And to clarify, Sam hasn't told Lara that she loves her, and neither did Lara. A huge Thank you to all those who reviewed.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Kept you waiting, huh? Well here is the chapter. A rather short one, but I worked for some time on it. More than average that is. Happy Reading! More after the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider. Nor do I know any of the medical stuff here. I just winged it. Sorry for the inaccuracies.**

**Warning: Lesbian themes ahead.**

* * *

**Epilogue…?**

"Daddy, daddy, look what I found." said a young Lara pulling at her father's pants. The elder Croft turned and looked at her smiling.

"Lara, sweetie, daddy's working. Why don't you show Uncle Roth?" her father asked her, turning away. Heartbroken, the little croft turned, wiping tears from her eyes, and walked away from her father. As she came under a peach tree she stood there and stared at the jade stone in her hand.

"He doesn't even care…" she sobbed throwing it away. As the stone landed on the ground a young Roth picked it up.

"What's wrong, Lara?" he asked her, placing his hand on the sobbing girls shoulder.

"I found something, and daddy doesn't even want to see it. He doesn't even care anymore." Roth sat down next to the girl, rubbing the stone between his fingers.

"Your father may not look like he cares about you Lara, but he does. It's just… losing your mother took its toll on the old man." Roth stated staring at the pendent.

"Let's not talk about sad things, now. Not on a special occasion." he said trying to elicit a response from the girl.

"What occasion?" the little Croft asked, the sorrow of her red eyes now replaced with a mild curiosity.

"Well your first discovery, of course." Roth said, smiling as he bound a rope around the stone. Lara just smiled and hugged him. "Thank you." She said.

Patting the girls head he slipped the pendant around her neck.

"Don't thank me. It was your discovery. After all you're a Croft."

* * *

"I don't think I'm that kind of Croft." Lara said taking the axe from her mentor.

"Sure you are. You just don't know it yet."

The survivor stood up, attaching the climbing axe to her belt. As she searched the abandoned camp to find a way up, she came across a wall with stone worn enough to climb.

"This should do." She said to herself.

Jumping up, she struck the axe against the surface. It caught the stone.

She started her climb.

* * *

Her fingers were becoming numb from holding on the axe for dear life. The ice beneath it was cracking. She had to climb faster. She had to get to the top before Mathias completed the ritual.

Throwing caution to the wind, she planted her foot against the cracking ice wall and pushed herself upward. Her hand shuddered as her axe sunk on a higher hand hold

The elements raged around her. Snow. Water. Lightning. Debris. Ice. It was all swirling around the mountain. Destroying it. Reshaping it. And along with the mountain, it was reshaping the survivor who was scaling it.

Her mentor's voice rang in her head. She would do it. She wouldn't give up on Sam. She had lost enough people in her life. Her mother. Her father. Roth. Alex. This dreaded island would not take one more from her.

The sun queen would not have Sam. She would have to kill the archaeologist first. No, she would have to kill the Croft first.

* * *

The walk back down was peaceful. With her Sam pressed up against her chest, the survivor made her way to the docks. As soon as she reached the boat, her friends helped her. As they left the dreaded island, a quiet calm came over her. She reflected on her change. She thought back on her father's crazy expeditions.

Maybe he was right. Maybe there was something more to the world we called normal. She stood staring at the horizon.

* * *

The horizon seemed so calm, after the storm on the island. The young croft watched as the love of her life sobbed at her grave. She watched as her friends paid her respect to the body of the dead Croft.

She watched as the casket was closed and lowered into the ground. She watched as everyone left. She watched as Sam stayed and cried. She wanted to cry with her. Yet she was separated from her by an eternity. It was all over. She would never see Sam again.

The thought brought tears to the eyes of the croft. She reached out to touch her Sam. And yet she couldn't. All she was, all that was left of her was thought. Formless. Weightless. Timeless.

But why was her chest hurting?

Why was the sky thundering?

Why was the world turning red?

Her chest hurt. The rain started coming in sheets. Sam never moved from the grave. Her chest hurt. Her throat constricted. She couldn't breathe. She was drowning. Her chest hurt. The thunder made her head pound. The lightning blinded her. The mourning filmmaker never moved. Her chest hurt.

Time stood still.

* * *

She woke up, as the crying filmmaker brought her hand down on the archaeologist's chest.

She wasn't dead.

* * *

**There you go. Not really the epilogue after all. Don't worry we have a few more chapters to go. Before that time though, I want your opinion on me writing a ****_Legend of Korra_**** fan-fic. A high school AU. Korrasami. I'm not really sure about bending, but I have a basic plot planned out. Should I do it?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I know most of you are waiting with pitchforks to kill me, but I really am sorry. I have been stuck with school and all kinds of creativity destroying monsters, and I also had to find my muse, which coincidently came about when I was arguing with my mom about gay rights. So, without further ado here is the next chapter. This is a sort of filler chapter, and this is mostly for people who haven't played the new Tomb Raider A.K.A most of my friends. So if this seems like an unnecessary chapter, I really am sorry. Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Tomb Raider.**

**Warning: Lesbian themes and themes of PTSD ahead.**

* * *

The camera whirred to life and focused on the petite filmmaker, sitting in her swivelling chair, in a dark bed room. She stared silently into the lens, took a deep breath and laid her head down onto the table. After a few seconds she sat up and pulled her knees onto the chair and sighed.

"I don't really know….why I'm doing this." She began.

"Maybe I just want somebody to talk to, but I really can't, without them thinking I'm a lunatic….or maybe I want this to be a reminder… That I am in fact completely sane." She chuckled.

"So, where do I begin…? My name is Samantha Nishimura. My father, Toru Nishimura, is pretty much the largest businessman in Japan. I hate him. I… I don't really know why. Maybe because he never approved of my dreams." She sighed.

"Anyway, he sent me to a boarding school, when I was…um, about sixteen. There, I met this girl, Lara Croft, and surprise of surprises, we became best friends. The problem is I don't like her just as a best friend anymore. I…. I'm in love with her." She sighed and put her head in her hands.

"Anyway, we graduated, and went to college together, and soon after Lara, who was archaeology major, had a chance to go on her first expedition." Sam continued, looking back up into the camera.

"The expedition was being financed by Dr. James Whitman….asshole… and well, long story short, he lost his money and I stepped in by asking my dad to finance it, because it meant so much to Lara. It was like a dream come true for her, and I was right there with her. It was exhilarating." She smiled, not really focusing on the camera.

"But hey, I'm not this fucked up because everything went well, am I?" she said, staring back at the camera, a frown playing on her lips.

"We shipwrecked, on this island, Yamatai, Which we couldn't leave because it was surrounded by storms. The problem was we weren't the only ones on the island. Many people had shipwrecked there before, and there was this huge cult…. This guy, Mathias was their leader, and he believed that the storms were controlled by this Japanese sun queen…." She shuddered "…Himiko."

"As fate would have it…. I… am a descendent of Himiko. An even longer story short, Mathias believed that transferring the remains of Himiko's soul into her descendent, me, and killing them, would end the curse and they could escape the island. The problem was… he was right." she laughed maniacally, but soon the laughter turned into sobs.

"I can still feel her…. In my fucking head." She pointed to her temple. Taking a deep breath she composed herself.

"Um… Lara… she um, she saved me. Not once but three times. Even I don't know what she had to go through." The filmmaker stared quietly at her hands.

"She told me she had to kill dozens of men. She… told me…. She was afraid of how easy it was to… take a life. I know that. I killed a guard. It was … scary." Her eyes glossed over as she frowned, remembering.

"When we were rescued, at least those who were left, Lara fell sick. She almost died. When she was brought to the hospital, she… her body was so battered, it gave on her. She was pronounced clinically dead for seven minutes, all through which, I… begged and cried for her to come back. I broke two of her ribs, trying to wake her. And when she did, she hugged me so tightly that for a moment Yamatai had never happened. In that moment, I knew for sure… I Loved her." She smiled fondly at the memory.

"It's really painful, to see Lara go through her... healing process. She has become sort of a shadow. She hardly ever smiles. She doesn't talk. She doesn't go out. All she does is read her fathers journal, and train. I'm worried, she is losing herself. I hope I can get Lara back. There is a lot I should have told her a long time ago…" she closed her eyes. "I'm going to tell her tomorrow." She sighed.

"Now…. That is basically everything that's happened. I really hope I'm not going insane." She grabbed her head. Sam sighed and reached over to the camera, turning it off.

* * *

Lara Croft stepped out of her bedroom, wearily and made her way to the fridge. Everything was silent, and this put her in a tense state. She eyed the living room carefully and saw the light flickering beneath Sam's door.

"Great." She sighed.

That meant Sam was awake. The archaeologist would never admit it, but she was scared. She was scared for her Sam. Whenever she saw her, she was afraid Himiko would be staring back.

But that didn't stop her feelings from returning. Especially when ever Sam showed, how much she still was… _her Sam_. Even after everything that happened on the island.

Another thing, which had scared the survivor, was her nightmares. Night after night she woke with her sheets covered in sweat, and often blood too, having violently ripped her stitches, and Sam would have to come and tend to them. Although she loved to hear Sam, whisper words of calmness in her ear as her fingers worked, now expertly, tending to her wounds, she wanted the dreams to stop. She wanted the island to stop hunting her.

The Croft also noticed that the dreams tended to bring out a lot of violence from her. She had already broken two bedside lamps and her second phone that month. She was afraid, that in one of these rage and fear filled dreams, she wouldn't hurt the monsters that haunted her, and rather, she would hurt Sam who had come to tend to her.

Sighing she made her way to the fridge and opening it took out the milk carton. As she proceeded to the kitchen counter, she heard the doorbell.

Staring suspiciously at the clock, she grabbed a knife from the counter and she quickly made her way to the door of the apartment, and holding the knife steady, opened the door. The sight which greeted her made her drop the knife to the floor.

"Aren't you going to invite me in for a pint then, girl?" Said Conrad Roth, holding out his hands for a hug. Lara ran into his hands, sobbing.

"I'm sorry." She cried, quietly.

* * *

**So there you go another cliffhanger. I'll just hide in the corner, yeah? I hope you liked it. I will try to update soon. And in case you're wondering there two or three more chapters left. Happy reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey Guys! I had time and I updated again! Yay! So I hope you like this chapter. It continues right where the last one left off. We're nearing the end now. Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Tomb Raider.**

**Warning: Lesbian themes and themes of PTSD ahead.**

* * *

As Sam saved the video, her hand hovered over the delete button. It would be nothing. She would just have to select it and press delete. But she didn't. She decided that she would continue doing this. She would continue documenting her return to normalcy. She would make sure that she had evidence that she wasn't insane, that they weren't insane.

Making up her mind she shut down her computer and as she removed her headphones, the sound of Lara's voice reached the filmmakers ears. She strained to hear what Lara was saying through the closed door, but she was surprised to hear something in her voice that hadn't been there for a long time.

Happiness.

Something about the archaeologists voice screamed happiness. A slow smile appeared on the filmmakers face but as she saw the time her smile turned into a frown. Who was Lara talking to at two am?

Rubbing her eyes slowly the filmmaker made for the door of her room, straining to hear what Lara was saying. Standing at the door she took a deep breath and opened the door, expecting to see Lara sleepwalking.

The sight which greeted the filmmaker surprised her.

Lara was sitting on the table, a glass of milk in her hands, and she was talking to …. no one. She was moving her hands animatedly, her eyes wide with excitement.

"… so, my guess is that the runes from the Incan marker can be roughly traced back to the time when pyramids were built. There are documented which remain from that part of the Egyptian era but most of them haven't been translated. My guess is that there is a connection between…" The archaeologist went on, speaking animatedly to an empty chair on the other side of the table.

A small shiver ran through Sam. She had only heard Lara talk this animatedly about archaeology to two people. One was herself and the other was Roth. A tear made its way down Sam's cheek.

Lara Croft had broken.

"Lara…" Sam whispered tentatively, raising her hand to the girl she loved. The survivor turned her head, and on seeing Sam she beamed wider. Standing up she rushed to the stunned filmmaker and pulled her into a fierce hug.

"Sam, you're awake. Finally" she said quietly into her ears. Hearing Lara's voice just like it was before Yamatai, brimming with innocence and curiosity, twisted Sam's stomach into knots. Lara was losing herself, the filmmaker thought.

When the archaeologist pulled back, she looked into her eyes, and they were full of happiness, and curiosity. All the anger and fear were nowhere to be seen. Sam couldn't bear it, she looked away first.

The Croft stepped back, and motioned excitedly to the empty chair.

"Look who's here, Sam." She said beaming.

"Who is it Lara?" The filmmaker asked not taking her gaze off the archaeologist.

"You're not even looking, it's Roth?" Lara deadpanned, her voice still smiling.

Same hated herself for making the decision. She hated what she was going to do with every fiber in the body. She couldn't even dream of hurting the girl in front of her, and yet she stepped forward and placed a hand on her cheek. The archaeologist appeared too stunned to react.

"Lara… Sweetie, look at me. Roth is... Roth is dead, remember. We lost Roth on the island."

A look of confusion crossed the archaeologist's face.

"What are you saying Sam, he is rig-"

"Listen to me Lara. Roth is dead. You have to remember. Please." The filmmaker cut of Lara, her eyes never leaving the archaeologists hazel ones.

A look of anger replaced the confusion, as the Croft stared at the filmmaker.

"What the hell is wrong with you Sam? Roth is sitting right here and you are saying he is dead… what is wrong with you?" the archaeologist said her voice dropping an octave.

"Lara, Please. Look me in the eyes. Tell me what you remember Nothing about the island. Tell me that you believe whole heartedly that we didn't lose out friends there. Look me in the eye and tell me you believe it. Tell me Roth is sitting here with us." Sam said her pleading eyes unblinking and red, a result of holding back tears.

Lara looked like she wanted to scream and curl up into a ball at the same time. She stared at chair and Sam, back and forth. Her hands pulled at her t-shirt, as the Croft hugged herself. She slowly stepped back from Sam.

"Sam, Roth is sitting right here with us. You are sick. What are you thinking?" she said, but all the conviction in her voice was gone. The archaeologist's words hurt Sam, but she knew that only she could help the Croft. She stepped closer and placed her hand on Lara's fore arm. The reaction was instantaneous.

"Get away." Lara shouted, a primal fear clouding her eyes, as she broke the glass she was holding against Sam's outstretched hands. The pain from the glass shard sinking into the filmmakers arm made her shout and pull her arm back. The sight of the filmmaker in pain shifted the whole atmosphere.

Realization flashed across Lara's eyes and all the happiness was gone. It was as if she was walking from a trance. Her eyes darted from her shaking hands to the blood dripping from Sam's forearms. Sam, watched, nursing her arm. She knew Lara had broken out of her trance. She knew Lara remembered.

The Croft dropped the remaining bits of the glass in her hands and rushed over to the filmmaker, wrapping her hands around the shorter girl.

"I'm so sorry Sam; I don't know what came over me… I saw Roth and…you …. Yamatai …. I hurt you and….? The archaeologist stopped. She looked at Sam, and stepped back.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, as she ran out of the apartment. The filmmaker let her tears fall as she stood and ran after the Croft.

Her Croft.

* * *

**And I'm just going to go into hiding now. Fun-fact: This chapter is exactly thousand words long. How awesome is that.**

**-**You can Skip this bit, its just my thoughts on the lack of Sam in ROTTR, and the game in general**-**

**Another awesome thing is Rise of the Tomb Raider. It is probably the greatest Tomb Raider game ever. I loved every moment of it. The action and all the set pieces were great. And my god did I love Lara's growth in this game. And Jonah too. The story was great. The villain was awesome. The only thing though… this was me after the end of the story:"Where is my SAM?" Rihanna Prachett, why is there no Sam in this game? Where is SAM? Lara be like "I want my Sam." So please give her back her Sam, at least next time. Oh, and to those who are shipping Lara and Sofia…Just stop. I have a specific set of skills. I will find you, and I will kill you. SALARA Forever! **

**Peace!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! I'm back. Early too. I felt bad for leaving you with a cliff hanger, so yeah. Important authors note after the story answering a few questions. But until then Happy Reading!**

* * *

The rain fell in sheets hitting the archaeologist in her face as she ran through the half deserted streets of London. Her bare feet felt cold against the roads and the cold made it feel as if her bones were frozen. But she didn't stop. She had to get away from it. But how could she when what she wanted to get away from was herself?

She had become what she had feared. She had done the unthinkable. She winced as she remembered the blood dripping from Sam's forearm where the glass had pierced her. She had done that. She had, with her own hands, hurt Sam. Surprisingly that act had put a lot of things into perspective for the young Croft. She realized that she had had a moment of pure insanity. She had hallucinated, for god's sake. She had no control over her mind.

The archaeologist forced the thoughts away, and tried to focus on what she was doing.

She couldn't. Whenever she drew a breath, all she saw was blood. Sam's blood.

"Shit." She cried and collapsed in front of the building she was in front of. Pulling her legs closer she sat shivering in the rain thinking about what she was doing.

She couldn't.

Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Roth, Grim and Alex. She saw the pilot who had tried to save them. Captain Jessep.

And she saw Himiko. Her undoing.

Screaming and crying in rage Lara forced her eyes closed, trying to will the images away. She dragged her nails across her forearms, pressing deep until she drew blood. The pain helped her. It helped her focus.

She looked up, into the sky. The rain was stopping. The skies were clearing. Slowly, almost fascinated she got up. When she looked down she saw Alex.

He just smiled at her.

_"What are you doing here, Croft?"_

"I don't know… I hurt Sam… I hurt you. I let you die. I let Roth die. Grim…" she said staring quietly into his eyes. They weren't natural. They looked scary and yet so fascinating. As if they knew something she didn't.

_"Come on let's take a walk."_ Alex came next to her and placing her hands on her shoulder, as he led her forward.

"Alex… are you alive?" she asked, entranced by his eyes. Yet something in the back of her mind told her she shouldn't be. That she should fear it. She ignored that part.

_"Me? No, I don't think so. Well, I'm pretty sure; my body is a burning mess, at the bottom of the sea. But I guess I shouldn't have expected much more, what with the kiss of death and all." _He smirked, so unlike Alex. And yet the archaeologist couldn't deny the fact that it was him standing in front of her.

"I tried to save you…" she whispered.

_"Did you? Really?"_

"I did. You told me to leave." Lara said, now trying to get away from his arms. It wasn't working. She was too entranced by his eyes.

_"That didn't mean I wanted to die. I mean come on, really Lara? Would I have wanted to die? I have a sister and a mother I need to support. What makes you think, I wanted to give it up? No, no, no, here is what I think; I think Reyes was right" _he sneered.

"_Anyone caught with you has a pretty low chance of survival."_

Tears started rolling down the archaeologists cheeks. She shook her head furiously, trying to look away from his eyes. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her to face him.

Those eyes.

_"I mean why deny it? Let's look at the overwhelming evidence shall we. Where shall we start, oh yeah, the change of the ships course? Whose brilliant idea was that?"_

He placed a hand on her cheek. "_Why it was the brilliant archaeologist standing before me who came up with it." _

Lara stared blankly into his eyes. She wanted to look away. She wanted to say that it wasn't her fault. Yet she couldn't. Because she knew it was true.

_"Overwhelming evidence number two, Grim. He went down swinging didn't he? And for what? So that you could get in the fortress so you could save us. That turned out pretty well, didn't it, with me dead, and Sam damn near close to being dead."_

Alex took of his glasses and wiped his eyes as he laughed, her hands never leaving her shoulder. Lara could only stare and let her tears fall.

_"Let's move on shall we, Roth takes an axe for you in the back. That's like a double whammy, losing both your father figure and finding out your idol is an asshole. And then of course you got me. The kiss of death."_ He smiled sadly and pressed his lips against her cheek. It felt cold.

_"So tell me Lara, are you sure none of our deaths are on you? I mean, come on, even Roth?" _he frowned looking into her eyes, with his glowing orbs.

"_Forget Whitman or even Grim. My death must have counted, somehow._" The archaeologist wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to curl up into a ball. And yet when she tried stopping, he just tugged at her to keep going.

_"What was all of this for Lara? To save Sam? I'm pretty sure you love her enough to give up your life for her. But all of ours? And then what?"_ he looked at her, the smirk back on his face.

_"You saved her, and then? There must have been some thought as to how she would end up. I mean, what did you think? That you would confess all your feelings and everything would be alright? That you will continue living your normal lives?" _He looked at her, a sarcastic expression on his face.

_"You know with your track record, I'm not sure why she isn't dead yet." _ He laughed manically his eyes glinting.

_"Didn't you ever think about it? What is her life expectancy…? Another month? What she was stuck with you on the island for a day and a demigod tried to take over her, and how long did you expect she would last"._

_"You have to see it. Everywhere you go, you paint a master piece. One of blood. Shit, just think of all the Solarii you killed, to save your beloved Sam. How many of them must have been just following orders. How many of them must have had families. And you didn't even stop a second before you slaughtered them to save Sam."_

He shook his head.

"_And for what, so you could kill her? Damn, you are fucked up."_

"No, I don't want to hurt her." Lara whispered staring at her hands. She remembered Sam's blood. She had already hurt her. When she looked back up she saw Alex smile, and the light in his eyes glowed brighter.

_ "See, now you understand. You bring nothing but the death. Are you sure you want to keep hurting everyone you love? It's your choice Lara." _He smiled.

_"You could join us. It's not really that hard." _ He stepped back and he was gone. She saw where she was.

The roof top, public library. She peered over the edge.

Five stories.

A small smile crept across her face. No one could survive that. She stood back and looked up at the sky. It had cleared completely. She could see the stars. They were beautiful.

Like her Sam.

She looked at them quietly. Taking a step forward she stood on the small wall separating her from the fall in front of her. The night was calm. She breathed slowly. She looked up again.

The archaeologist stared at the stars. She would just have to step forward and it would all be over. She won't hear the voices. She wouldn't be able to hurt anybody, especially not Sam.

"I love you Sam." She whispered at the night sky and closed her eyes. Maybe she should do it.

She decided.

She would do it.

* * *

**I think I'll leave you guys at that. I wanted to thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I swear I'm not as good as half of you claim that I am, but you inspire me, and give me something to aspire to. Thank you. Like a guest suggested, I may include Ana in an epilogue, seeing as its pretty close. I am not sure where this story will lead. I have not done a series before, but I am considering it. My initial plan was to lead this into Rise of the Tomb Raider, but hey, you know me and plans. I am still in the very planning phases of the Legend of Korra story. One thing I can tell you is that I won't work on it before this is over. I just have a tiny request, if you are a guest please sign your name, or a nick name, so I can address you directly in this thank you thing I am planning. I'd be really grateful. That's it for now. Peace!**

**P.S : This is my longest chapter yet!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Whoa, three chapters almost back to back. I think I'm on a roll. Or that I have a bit of time on my hands. Sorry for the cliffhanger last time. I hope this satisfies. I rewrote this chapter a bit. Some stuff after the chapter. Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider. **

**Warning: Lesbian themes ahead.**

* * *

"Lara!" The scream of the filmmaker cut through the thin night air. As Sam rushed forward, her legs screaming in protest, she watched the archaeologist turn, almost as if she was under water. Everything appeared to slow down.

Sam's hand darted forward, just as Lara's footing slipped. The Croft didn't seem to know how to react. She stared blankly at the older girl as she hauled the archaeologist over the wall. Both of them fell to the wet terrace, grunting.

Like a cat thrown in water the Croft slithered back with unnatural speed and pushed herself against the wall, hugging her knees, refusing to look at the girl in front of her. Taking a few deep breaths, the filmmaker rose, and moved towards Lara. Moving her hands away, she straddled her hips with her legs and before she could stop herself, her hand lashed out, slapping the archaeologist across her cheek.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" the filmmaker screamed. Her voice sounded shrill, tears flowing down her cheeks. She slapped the archaeologist again. Taking a deep breath and cupping her Lara's face, she made the younger girl face her.

"What were you thinking, Lara?" she whispered. Lara simply stared back. Slowly she took her hand from her cheek, and pointed to the wound created by the shard of glass.

"I hurt you." came the Croft's quiet voice. Pressing her hand the filmmakers hand to her forehead, she cried.

"I hurt you." She sobbed again.

The filmmaker forced Lara to look into her eyes.

"So you decide to kill yourself? Because you hurt me? Fuck, Lara." She swore. The archaeologist remained quiet, sobs racking her body.

"It's not like I haven't been hurt before. It's not even that painful. What the fuck..." she sighed exasperated.

"I killed them." said the girl crying before her.

"What?" the filmmaker turned her attention to Lara. Suddenly the archaeologist looked up and grabbed Sam's shirt by the collar.

"Roth. Grim. Alex. Whitman. I fucking killed them. They are never coming back because of me. " She screamed her voice hoarse from crying. "Everybody I loved is dead because of me."

"How long before I kill Jonah. Before Reyes ends up dead?" she screamed, tears refusing to stop.

"Before I kill you?" She said, her voice getting quieter. She pulled Sam closer and pressed her forehead against the filmmaker's.

"I love you." She whispered.

The filmmakers mind was reeling. She couldn't believe what she had heard.

"What do you mean?" she said, staring into the Croft's eyes.

"I'm in love with you, Sam." Lara said slowly. She took in a shaky breath almost as if she was deciding whether she wanted to go ahead with her confession. Taking another deep breath she steadied herself and continued speaking.

"Nothing in this world matters to me more than you. I couldn't bear it if…. I would die, if something happened to you…. because of me." The archaeologist said, quietly, her hazel eyes refusing to meet Sam's brown ones.

The filmmaker acted on impulse. Placing both her hands on Lara's cheeks, she brought their lips crashing together. Lara's lips were as soft as she remembered them. When she pulled back the Croft stared at her, surprise, confusion and hope written in her teary eyes. Sam just nodded.

"I'm in love with you too." She breathed, before pulling her Lara back in for another kiss. This one was gentle, almost magical. Sam pulled back and hugged her Lara fiercely.

"Their deaths are not on you. Nobody blames you." She whispered into her ears.

"They are, Sam. I led them to the island. Grim died to give me a fighting chance. Alex died, so that I could live. Roth died tiring to save me. I lost everyone I love on that island. I was so close to losing you."

"But you didn't. You saved me. You killed a demigod. You saved Reyes. Because of you Alisha has a mother. Because of you, Jonah is alive. What did you think you would accomplish by offing yourself?"

The archaeologist remained quiet. "I thought that… I thought, if I was gone, none of you… would… die." She said quietly. "I thought that I won't be able to hurt you."

"Don't you ever think, even for a moment, that you will hurt me. You are my saving grace. You can never hurt me." The filmmaker hugged her closer

"Don't ever do this again Lara. Don't ever think that I would be better off without you." The filmmaker hugged her quietly, as the archaeologist rested her head against her shoulder.

When Lara pulled back she looked into her Sam's eyes.

"Do you really… love me?" she whispered, looking at the bruise on the filmmakers forearm. The filmmaker placed a finger under her chin and lofted her gaze into her eyes.

"More than anything in the world." She promised. "I have loved you for a long time. It's going to take more than a deadly island and a demigod to make me stop loving you." If it wasn't for the cold, Sam could have sworn that she saw Lara blush.

"I loved you, for a long time, too." Lara whispered, not looking away from her eyes. "For more than four years. Every day I would be afraid that you would find out and that I would lose you."

"Why would you lose me?" she filmmaker looked at the Croft quizzically.

"Because, I was… I was afraid that you wouldn't like me, like that." She answered. Sam kept quiet for some time.

"You're right. I don't like you like that." The filmmaker said looking into the archaeologists eyes. Fear flashed through them, followed by tears. Seeing her, she leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead.

"I don't like you. I love you." She said, smiling wide. The archaeologist tackled Sam and pinned her to the floor.

"Please stop joking Sam." she whispered as she leaned forward and captured her lips again for the third time that night. The Croft pulled back and the filmmaker embraced her pulling her flush against her small frame. "I love you." She whispered into the archaeologist's ear, almost like a promise.

A promise which would never be broken.

At that moment, Lara could have sworn that she wasn't as broken anymore.

* * *

**Well, I didn't leave you with a cliffhanger so I guess I'm safe for now. I am not entirely satisfied with this chapter. I really need honest opinions. Did this deliver? Or did it fall flat? Only the epilogue left now. I also need your opinion on whether I should work on a sequel. If I have to, it may have a slight shift from drama to a bit more adventure action. I'm not sure. I would love some thoughts and ideas. Thank you for the reviews. Peace!**


	14. Chapter 14: Epilogue

**Hey guys! This is the epilogue I promised, and guess what? Ana is here! So yeah I hope the wish is fulfilled. More after the chapter; Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Tomb Raider**

** Warning: Loads of Lesbian fluff ahead.**

* * *

**Epilogue, two weeks later…**

"Come on you have to do it" Samantha whispered trying to control her laughter.

"No, she is in the next room." Lara whispered back heatedly, looking down and blushing a deep shade of crimson.

"No, no, no, no, no, you're my girlfriend. I can kiss you whenever I want. Besides, you really can't say no after you teased me like that in the morning." The filmmaker whispered back.

"Unless of course, you don't really like me." …" Samantha let that sentence drag on. The younger girl looked up, horrified and seeing the smirk on the filmmakers face, growled before pulling her in for a heated kiss. The Croft, being taller, pressed the filmmaker's body flush against her and ran one hand through her Sam's short hair.

"Oh!" came a voice from the doorway, sending the girls flying apart like cats dropped in water. Sam started laughing loudly while Lara just stared at the sink again; her face getting redder if that was even possible.

"Ana, I was just preparing…. um… tea." Lara said not looking at the woman standing at the doorway with a small smile playing on her lips.

"I'm sure. I hope you didn't forget that I like it black, what with the snogging and all." Ana replied joining Sam, while Lara just put her head in her hands.

"She is just getting used to the PDA." Sam said, between her laughing. When Lara didn't say anything, Ana moved closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Lara, it doesn't matter. I don't mind. All that I care about is that you are happy." She said quietly. When Lara looked up, Ana pulled the Croft into a tight hug. Sam looked onto the pair and smiled quietly.

"Listen, you guys catch up. I'm just gonna use the bathroom." She said pointing to the kitchen door. When Lara pulled back and smiled at the filmmaker, she felt as if her life slid into place perfectly and she walked away into her bedroom.

Slowly, navigating around her bed, she made her way to the bathroom, and looked at herself in front standing in front of the mirror. She could still see her faint blush from when Ana caught them kissing. Just thinking about her Lara made her blush again.

When she looked at the mirror and smiled, she felt giddy, and for just a moment, standing in the mirror facing her was Himiko.

* * *

**And with that this story comes to an end. This was a really awesome journey. I'm not sure I have mentioned this before, but this is my first time writing anything related to the LGBT community, and I really hate myself for not doing it sooner, but hey, better late than never. I really do hope I did the characters justice. Right now I'm brainstorming ideas for a sequel, so ideas are welcome. Any other way I can improve, please let me know. **

**I want to thank all my reviewers and followers for liking and leaving comments and suggestions and most of all being patient. You guys are great. **

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**I also got so many guest reviews. I think someone reviewed all of the chapters. I want to thank them too, but all of you didn't leave your names or signs so I am listing the ones I got.**

**soph**

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**And of course a huge thank you to those who reviewed but didn't sing their name. Next time, please leave a nick name so I can thank you personally. If I missed anyone out, I am extremely sorry.**

**I love all you guys. Peace and, until next time, Happy Reading!**


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